Physiology: Spinning for Space

The cylindrical room at the Pensacola
Naval Air Station was spinning around at ten revolutions per minute all
last week. Inside it, along with a medical officer, were four young
volunteer enlisted men who seemed to have nothing more serious to do
than loll around in shorts and T shirts, watch TV, phone girl friends
downtown, play catch with a tennis ball or toss darts.

But despite the casual air, there was nothing frivolous about the
activity in that spinning silo. The Coriolis Acceleration Platform, as
the Navy calls it, is being used...